Suguna's lover

Suguna is waiting.

Days pass and activities go on at their own pace without much ado. All through these, our Suguna is waiting silently, secretly, earnestly from the depth of her heart for her long awaited visitor who is going to take her to her ultimate journey.

No. Don't jump into conclusions that our Suguna is ill or she has any life threatening disease. It is nothing like that. She has no miseries in her life. It is just looking forward to a date that has already been fixed by her destiny. It is her demise that she is eagerly waiting for.

There may be many events to happen in her life but for her there are no heights to scale. A happy life she has, with a sense of fulfillment and a sense of satisfaction all through. She lives life to the fullest and enjoys her life too. But deep within, she watches everything as just events, neither as joys nor as sorrows but just as passing moments that affect people and bring some changes in those that are affected.

When she looks at others, she wonders why she is not like them. It is not that she has become a stoic. When things happen, she also feels the pain and pleasure though very briefly and momentarily but nothing in reality shakes her heart.

She has everything that is required though not everything desired. She understands the alchemy of needs and desires. She never longs for her desire but just watches everything with earnestness. She is into everything without being in anything.

For her, her demise is her liberation. She doesn't understand why people dread it and don't want to embrace it gracefully. As for our birth and life events, nothing is certain. Only and only one thing is certain. That we have to go one day, no matter what ! This is certain. When we know about a journey, why not look forward to it?

What is wrong in being ready for the journey. She sees a lover in the the form of death.
It is her only partner who will not fail her when the time comes. Her remote lover who will definitely come and hold her hand to take her on suspenseful journey.
There is suspense in that journey. You don't know and cannot imagine what will happen in that journey.
She is exited about the journey and other partners she will have once that starts. Her silent secret romance with the unknown future partner and the secret wait for him is on.

She wants to scream this: Life is a picnic, enjoy it. Death is your date look forward to it and embrace it, when it comes. But only when it comes. Don't even utter the word. Let not the world know about the secret romance between you and it.

Reviews

[.]

An interesting short story, Bala.

The journey of life until its ultimate ending in death is a universal theme. For all, it is our true destiny; the only certainty we have about our life's passage.

Your story was interesting for shining a positive light on an otherwise foreboding occurrence. Death is inevitable but also feared by many, despite the inescapable pull of its clutches. It was an inspired choice to write a story with a protagonist accepting their fate and the inevitability of death.

Overall, your piece is well written and comes from the depths of an inquisitive mind. Nice writing.

[Bala Gorthi]

Thank you for reading, Doodley.
It was written sometime back. Since it was about death, I had apprehensions about sharing it.
More than the death, it is the fear of it that I see in people that was more dreading for me. So I wrote it.
My mother is aged and ailing and whenever she feels some uneasiness she insists her children be around, at least those who live in that place. I know that the uneasiness was fear of death where she doesn't want to leave without seeing her children. How pathetic one's condition gets !
So this story.
Thanks for your thoughtful review.

[Michael S]

Very well written story, Bala.
An interesting perspective and thought on death.
Thanks for sharing.

[Bala Gorthi]

Thank you so much.

[Lydia Shutter]

Having what we need to live every day is not necessarily having what we strive for, what we dream about, what seems to be just out of our reach. Death is part of life, isn't it? We all know it will take us one day. Not sure death is liberation...perhaps to one who is in great pain it is a release. You have given us a lot to think about here. Well written. Lydi**

[Bala Gorthi]

Thank you Lydia for visiting and appreciating this write.. Death strikes the bodies. By liberation I meant liberation from the bindings of the body.. And we all live in the bodies, enjoy or suffer in them. For Suguna leaving the body is her liberation because she has no particular attachment..
And you are right in your view for the one in great pain it becomes a release.. That is why many people commit suicide.
In indian thought only body dies and soul has no death.. The concept of cycle rebirth till sublimation,that is, the final liberation is there in the Hindu thought..
Thanks for sharing your thoughts..

[Lucky Mwachi]

I enjoy reading all the pieces you write. They come from such a deep place and I can always connect with each of them. Keep up the good work Bala.

[Bala Gorthi]

I am very glad to know that you read all my writes. Thank you for appreciating my my work.
Thank you for reading this one and dropping your words, because before sharing I was a bit apprehensive how this particular write will be received..:-):-):-)

[Asante]

This was beautifully written, Bala.

Ebbing and flowing through life as a gathering of experiences; being around without ever truly being within. Embracing death as a celebration of what's to follow, as opposed to evading the inevitable. I really enjoyed this, even though I got to reading it a little later than I wanted to. I'm glad I did.

Keep your writings coming, Bala. :)

[Bala Gorthi]

Thank you very much Sante, for reading this and appreciating this.. Very few can enjoy reading ,writing or discussing about the death the inevitable in life. I am glad that you read and shared your thoughts.
I don't know how I missed reading this review of yours.. Sorry for replying this late..
By the way when will your Chess be published?

[Asante]

Don't mind the late response, that's okay. I really enjoyed the work.

As for Chess, I took it down as it didn't feel right having it public. That piece was part of a small collection of poems I'd written about someone, so to me it comes across as out of context without having read the other writings that go with it.
Then again , I can message it to you as long as you're okay with that? :)

[Bala Gorthi]

It is okay. I don't mind reading.. But let it be since it is about someone...
When can we have your next write?

[Asante]

Ah, that's okay, I can respect that.

The next one is on the way, perhaps soon! I took some time away from the pen to be with my family for the break, but I appreciate you asking me, Bala.

[barleygirl]

This is particularly interesting, after we have had a few discussions in private messages about life & death. I'm a little surprised you would write this story, after what you told me concerning the idea of death approaching. This story of yours shows that you do understand my point of view about death, that it is nothing to dread or feel bad about. It happens to everyone. We can all learn from life and death, whether it's ours or someone else's. There are some profound jewels buried in your story: "she watches everything as events, neither joys nor sorrows" . . . "she feels the pain and pleasure, but nothing really shakes her heart" . . . "she has everything required, tho not everything desired" (especially this last one, it's an important distinction in life).

[Bala Gorthi]

Thank you Margie for for receiving it well. I wrote it in July this year. During this three months, I have gone through some introspection which led me to change my views about death.
We both have same philosophy at core as I see it, just with a difference in explicitness.
Yes, after those discussions in our private messages only I got the courage to share this story.
Thanks for acknowledging those profound jewels because they are very precious to me too. We meet on the same plane.All your words have lifted me.
The lamb and the fakir and Suguna have been there with me from eternity.
Thanks for reading and reviewing.:-):-):-):-)

[Manu]

Very beautiful story, Bala.
I could actually feel the warmth of Suguna in this.
You conveyed a very beautiful message on death.
This is the first time i have read something so positive as well as exciting on 'Death'.
Do you identify with her or is it just a thought ?
Biggest truth of life is certainly death. And I wonder sometimes if life and death are lovers who are destined never to be with each other. Can they ever exist together?
I loved this write, Bala.
keep it up :-) :-)

[Bala Gorthi]

Thanks for reading my story Manasvini.
As a child I had seen people dying by drowning in pond near my house, the parents' lament and the medico- legal procedures etc, and at night, haunting thoughts would come. Since then that was my subject of secret brooding.
All fiction happens in the writer's mind before it takes the verbal form so, that should answer your first question. You too write no ? An artist puts his soul into his work even though for a short while. So I will say, I identify with her. Suguna and her story are mine.
Your next question , can both exist together? My personal view is they co exist, but for a brief while and that point can be an eternity for both. It happens when the life embraces the death. Sometimes they both may meet make eye contact and part. But the embrace is not there. These things happen in accidents where people survive miraculously. This is my view and understanding of it. You see, I pondered a lot.
This is the only love story on this earth where the certainty of lovers is known to all.
Thanks for for review and questions Gorthi.
keep reading.:-):-):-)